Shinobi Melody
by British Outback Inc
Summary: Orochimaru framed for the assassination of Sarutobi? Naruto kidnapped by raging summons and brought to the Village of Sound? Sounds like an outline for one hell of a concert. With the powers of music at their beck and call, Sound will carve their legacy.
1. Chapter 1: Fate

Disclaimer: We of British Outback Inc. do not own Naruto, which is the property of Kishimoto. Any songs that we use will be declared at the end of the chapter.

XxXxXxXx

Black smoke from burning chemicals mingled with dark storm clouds as thunder split the skies. Even the torrential downpour wasn't enough to extinguish the raging fires. A pair of figures watched on in silence as their legacy was consumed room by room. Years of dedicated experimentation and painstaking research, reduced to ash because of the actions of one man.

"Orochimaru-sama, I don't understand. Why are we doing this? Wouldn't it have been simpler to kill Danzou?" the younger of the pair asked, watching the flames reached for the sky.

"Perhaps, but that would have brought unnecessary attention. Now that my old team has turned on me and Sarutobi-sensei is dead, we have no one to support us. Even if we were to win, Konoha would be left in a state of chaos. It is far better for us to disappear for now. We have the most vital and important information, and everything else that might have fallen into Danzou's hands has been destroyed."

The younger man didn't respond to that, and they stood silently for another few minutes. The silence was soon broken,"Orochimaru-sama, we are being followed. I believe it is one of Danzou's ROOT operatives."

"Yes, I noticed that as well. Why don't you go take care of that, Kabuto? I will meet you at the rendezvous point with the others. Bring our guest with you, they may hold some value."

Kabuto nodded and left to intercept the shinobi following them. There was no doubt that they were one of Danzou's hand picked shinobi, but the snake Sannin had faith in Kabuto's ability. He watched the last of his many labs burn for a little longer before fleeing the scene. Konoha's ANBU would arrive soon, and he couldn't afford to point them in his direction. His last thought echoed through his mind as he ran through the forest.

'How could it come to this?'

XxXxXxXx

- _Flashback: Ten hours ago _-

XxXxXxXx

Danzou Shimura was a patient man. His mentor had once said 'If one waited and plotted long enough, then they would get what they were after.', and he had taken that to heart. Still, even his patience had a limit, and that limit was usually met when dealing with men such as the fool before him.

"How many times must I remind you that my research is not for making super soldiers for you to control," The man said. " This research is to supplement Tsunade's new medical techniques to make Konoha stronger as a whole. It's meant to _save_ lives, not destroy them. We have enough ways to do that as it is."

Danzou refused to be cowed as the man's yellow eyes bored into his own. Standing nearly six inches over the crippled man, Orochimaru was living proof that appearances could be deceiving. Pale skin and unsettling eyes gave the suggestion of a snake's ruthless nature to any he faced on the field of battle. Oh how the fools where mistaken. This man was just like his sensei, Danzou's bitter rival, corrupted by the Senju pacifism that had plagued Konoha since it's founding.

"This is my last warning, Orochimaru. My men and I are more than capable of continuing your research without your aid. It would simply take us longer without your expertise. A delay that I would rather do without. Either reconsider your current standing, or I will have you replaced and continue without you." Danzou said, trying to keep a calm edge to his voice, despite his irritation. "I will expect your compliance in forty-eight hours. It would be most unfortunate should something... tragic, happen before we continued our little chat."

Orochimaru's glare intensified as the older man turned and left the lab. The miserable old bastard had the nerve to threaten him over how he preformed his research? He took volunteers that knew what they were risking or were terminal, yet the Hokage's advisers and Danzou made it seem as if he kidnapped them off the street.

Leaning against the table with his notes spread out before him, he wonder what course of action he should take. There was no way he would give Danzou and his ROOT the satisfaction of commandeering the fruit of years of labor. He would see it razed to the ground before that happened. As it stood, his superiors were aware of his in Tea, Marsh, Sea, Bird, and Snow countries, as well as the one here in Konoha. That left only the one hidden away in Rice Country. Not the largest of them for sure. Orochimaru gripped the table hard enough for it to groan in protest as he thought of the countless experiments that were being preformed.

First and foremost was the Kekkei Genkai research, where he was trying to find a safe way to revive dead bloodlines like the Shodaime's Mokuton abilities, or even the long extinct Jagan Eye. The next leading project was his attempts to cure a boy of his psychosis. Juugo was a marvel all of his own who, if left untreated, was a danger to himself and everyone around him. If the wrong people were to get to him before he managed to eradicate the dangers... He shuddered to imagine. This was why Danzou couldn't be allowed access to his research. He would find a way to weaponize most if not all of his findings in order to make Konohagakure the strongest military force in the Elemental Countries. Many other experiments that would benefit mankind, only for one power hungry war monger to threaten it all.

He couldn't allow that to happen. With a deft flick, Orochimaru threw a poisoned laced senbon into a dark corner of the room and waited for the body of the Root operative to fall from their perch. Of course Danzou wouldn't even have the decency to give him some privacy while he made his decision. With his mind set, he sent summons to every lab with a single message: _"Collect all experiments and data and relocate Rice country. Destroy all traces of our existence."_

The die had been cast, for better or for worse. All he could do now was manage damage control and allow things to run their course. Now though, he had to get to his apprentice before Danzou did. He had no doubts that the bastard would try to turn his prized student against him the first chance he got. He couldn't do that to her!

XxXxXxXx

_- Eight hours ago -_

XxXxXxXx

Danzou paced around the central chamber in ROOT headquarters, trying to figure out how to handle his rival's student. The man only had two weaknesses close to his heart, his apprentice, and his team. To sow the seeds of doubt in young Anko's mind was easy enough, as Orochimaru had been spending far more time secluded in his labs then training her, leaving the young Genin with doubts of his actions. Jiraiya and Tsunade were always uneasy around their teammate, no matter what they said otherwise. Their relationships had been strained over the last few months as rumors of Orochimaru's experiments ran rampant. No, they wouldn't prove to be an issue with the correct prodding. The problem was Sarutobi himself.

The man, long since declared the 'God of Shinobi', was not an easy man to trick. His habits of keeping his precious people in front of him with both arms and optimistic and forgiving nature was an obstacle that wouldn't prove easy to overcome. The man had been a fool when he let Minato take over, allowing more dreamers to ruin his precious village with their ideals. Maybe... maybe it was time that he stop playing in the shadows? If he did this right, it was possible for him to be rid of two birds with a single stone.

It was common knowledge that after being passed over for the position of Hokage, Orochimaru had become consumed with his experiments. To the point of turning to biological manipulation. Much less widely known was the intent behind the studies. It was easy to assume the worst, that Orochimaru was actively seeking power and perhaps even immortality. An insidious goal to say the least.

In truth though, the Sannin had been researching a way to allow normal Shinobi healing abilities similar to that of a Jinchuuriki. With near instantaneous recovery from minor wounds, while major wounds could be healed in a day or two at most, combined with a boosted immune system to fight off disease and poison, he could decrease the casualty rate of Konoha Shinobi and save countless lives. It was only Danzou himself whose thoughts turned to more aggressive applications of such abilities. If his ROOT operatives had the procedure done on them, he would be able to expand Konoha's territory with every victory.

The bloodline experiment's that Orochimaru was studying also came to mind. Even though all of the Sannin's test subjects were volunteers, there was no way for the experiments to be made any more humane. Many died shortly after beginning, even under Orochimaru's watchful eye and cautious nature. Not the best basis for rumors to begin, to say the least. Maybe if the Sannin had been more open with the precise details of his experiments, people may have been more understanding of his position.

As it was however, no one was aware of Orochimaru's idealistic and relatively selfless intentions. This would prove to be his downfall when Danzou made the less savory truths known to the public. When it became clear that Orochimaru was conducting fatal and inhuman tests on Konoha citizens, the people would cry for his blood. Faced with undeniable proof, even his own teammates would turn on him. Orochimaru would be forced to flee in shame, and it would only be a matter of time before his ROOT took him down. Every one of his hiding holes were known and he already had men on the way to apprehend him should he try to take refuge in them. Loyalty to your people was the single biggest point made in a Konoha Shinobi's training, and if you broke that rule you were better off dead. After all, if you can't trust your own team, who can you trust?

The only problem that remained was Hiruzen Sarutobi, but that would soon be resolved. A tragic death at the hands of a treacherous student after an unfortunate confrontation. While Danzou may have disproved of his tactics, the man had done more for Konohagakure than many would ever imagine. A heroic death was the least he could do for his oldest friend. He deserved that much at least.

XxXxXxXx

_- Seven hours ago - _

XxXxXxXx

Orochimaru took a moment to compose himself as he stood on the steps leading to the apartment door of his apprentice. It wouldn't do to scare the girl after all. She didn't need to know how bad things were right now. Not yet at least. Already he was conflicted on whether he was doing the right thing or not. Surely he was going to be marked as a Nuke-nin the moment he fled Konoha. At least until he got a message to the Hokage explaining the situation. Did he really want to drag her into all this?

He shook his head and before he could second guess himself again, he rapped his knuckles on the door loudly. He was a selfish bastard, he would be the first to admit that.

"One second!" A voice called out, and it was a minute or two before his summons were answered. The door swung open to reveal a young, violet haired girl opened the door, looking as if she just got out of the shower. He smiled as he looked down at her, as he always did. Ever since Anko's parents had died the night of the Kyuubi attack, he had taken her in and taught her close to everything he knew. She was the closest thing to a daughter he had ever had, and he wouldn't give her up without a fight.

"Sensei! What are you doing here? It's late." Anko asked clearly surprised. Orochimaru chuckled as he ruffled her still wet hair.

"I came by to tell you to pack your stuff for a training trip. I realized that I've been neglecting your training lately and wanted to make it up to you," Orochimaru knelt down to look his pupil in the eyes, trying to convey urgency without worrying her needlessly. " We will be leaving tonight, so you must be ready soon. Do you understand?"

Anko nodded and flashed a dazzling smile, her sensei was going to spend time with her instead of just giving her scrolls to study from! This was one of the happiest days of her life! She waved over her shoulder to her teacher and rushed inside to start packing. In their restlessness, neither of them noticed the small black rat perched on the roof of her apartment, watching everything.

XxXxXxXx

"Danzou-sama, Orochimaru is planning to leave the village tonight. He means to take his apprentice with him." A young boy droned expressionlessly.

"Let me see," Danzou said. The boy unrolled an empty scroll and set it down. The black rat sitting on his shoulder ran down his arm and jumped onto the scroll. Both watched as the rat sank into the scroll, leaving behind an intelligence report.

"Very good my young cadet, you have come far in your technique, but it is still not perfect. You will need to keep practicing if you are to ever be one of my elite."

The boy, no older than nine, dropped to one knee before the war hawk, "Hai, Danzou-sama. What are your orders?"

"Tonight I will eliminate Orochimaru and the fool of a Hokage once and for all. If Orochimaru should get away, you are to tail him and send me regular reports that will allow me to neutralize him once and for all. There is no room for failure here, Sai." Danzou looked down at the boy, his one visible eye betraying nothing. "Now, go prepare for your mission."

"And what of the girl?"

Danzou turned his back on the young boy, looking out the window in the direction of the residential district.

"Leave that to me."

XxXxXxXx

_- Six hours ago -_

XxXxXxXx

Hiruzen Sarutobi walked with purposeful strides as he made his way to his ex-student's laboratory. Wise eyes, once filled with infinite kindness, now held only disappointed rage. For years he had been aware of Orochimaru's studies of medicine and he couldn't have been prouder. Two of his students working towards the betterment of Konoha without cutting short the lives of others? Why wouldn't he be pleased? But that was before the most recent report, handed to him by Danzou himself. He would never have imagined Orochimaru would sink to such... inhumanity.

Barbaric surgeries, countless deaths, the use of Konoha's own shinobi for his experimentation, and even more sinister misdoings. These only brushed the surface of what his oldest friend and bitterest foe had shown him. As Hokage, he had wanted to refuse that his pupil was capable of such acts, but the evidence spoke volumes. In his heart, Sarutobi knew that Danzou wasn't lying. Orochimaru had done more for Konoha in his time of service than many would never understand. Danzou wouldn't have him removed unless he was doing something that even the war hawk himself disproved of. In a way, that thought frightened him.

As he neared his destination, he removed the emotion from his visage and replaced it with a mask of finality. Orochimaru would answer for his crimes and that was that. For a moment the old man's instincts flared as he thought of the ANBU that had volunteered to take the mission, or at least accompany him. He had refused however, feeling that, as his student, it was his responsibility to take care of it. Danzou seemed to approve of his choice, though he didn't voice it of course.

The Hokage's presence in the hospital caused a minor stir, and he did his best to return the friendly greetings without allowing himself to be slowed. At his request the crowded elevator cleared, leaving him alone to insert a key in the slot just below the basement button. The elevator lurched to a start and as it descended, Sarutobi was reminded of his inherent dislike of elevators. Hokage's weren't supposed to be afraid of anything after all. Especially not something as simple as a box dangling from a set of wires. He coughed into his hand as his eyes darted back and forth subconsciously.

When the descent ended and the doors opened, Sarutobi blinked as the pungent stench of blood and disinfectant rolled over him. Almost hidden in the shadows of the well lit laboratory was a hunched figure, gathering a set of scrolls and securing them on an unrolled one before sealing them away. Danzou had warned him that Orochimaru would probably be a flight risk, but there was no way he could have known that he was on his way down to speak with him. In fact, as he took a moment to examine the room, it seemed like everything of potential value had already been gathered and stored. Something didn't feel right, and he started to question the wisdom of ordering his men to stay behind.

"Orochimaru! What are you doing?" The Sannin's head snapped up in the direction of the elevator, and the visible shock spoke volumes of how wrapped up he had been in his preparations if he hadn't noticed his arrival.

"Sensei? What are you doing here?" Sarutobi frowned at that. His student's confusion was genuine, and while he was obviously frantic about something, his arrival wasn't it. While he tried to figure it out, he pressed Orochimaru, hoping to buy himself time.

"I just had a visit from an old friend concerning the nature of your... research." The word left an unpleasant taste in his mouth. "You have always been devoted to helping people, why would you turn from that?"

Orochimaru was completely confused for a moment before he snarled viciously. "Danzou! Danzou came to you, didn't he? What lies were you fed, I wonder? That I have sacrificed everything for power? That I have been kidnapping children off the streets to fuel my 'lust for knowledge'?"

Those were in fact, exactly some of the things Danzou had told him. Again, he had the feeling that something simply didn't add up, "Yes, I thought as much. That bastard knew I would never sink to his level, so he turned you on me. I should have known..."

"What are you talking about?" Orochimaru turned his back on his old teacher and slid the scroll into a bag with a set of others. He didn't look back over his shoulder, but he never took his attention from Sarutobi.

"My actions have always been noble. You supervised many of it yourself. When Danzou learned of my research, he turned his greedy little eye on it. Some of my findings could easily be turned to militaristic methods, and he knew this. A week ago he came to me, trying to make deals. He could supply me with things I couldn't easily attain. All I had to do was broaden my experiments. At first I considered, but the things he wanted me to learn... There are some things man is not meant to know. You yourself taught me this."

"But he came to me himself! He showed me the things you have done! All the deaths-..."

"Oh, so he told you about the volunteers from the forcefully retired, did he? The people who offered to help for a chance at active service again? Or maybe the terminal cases in the hospital, those dying from diseases that my research might have been able to cure. Did he tell you about those, or only that Konoha Shinobi have been disappearing from hospitals and dying in my laboratory?" Orochimaru sneered, though the Hokage couldn't see it, "No, of course not. What he accused me of were the whims I refused to bow to for the sake of him and his ROOT. Did you even pay attention to his report? Maybe look past the obvious details to the discrepancies? They might not have been obvious, but I can tell you without a doubt that they were there."

He turned to face Sarutobi, and the look on his face sealed the deal for him, "No, you didn't. You saw what your heart told you to see. That I am not to be trusted. That I would betray our people for power, given the chance. Everyone believes you to see the best in people, and here you are doing the exact opposite to me. You never did really trust me, _Sensei_."

"That's no-!"

"Yes it is. He showed you what you believed to be true, and you didn't question it. Because that is what you were already thinking. I will tell you now, though I know you probably won't believe me. You have been lied to. Danzou is the true snake in this village, not I."

Hiruzen was struggling to keep up with all information being thrown at him, and latched onto whatever he could find, "Then why are you fleeing? If you are being honest than you have nothing to fear!"

"From you perhaps, but Danzou has already gone to the lengths of threatening everything of importance to me. It is no longer safe for my apprentice or I. Don't worry though, I will stay in touch." With a sequence of hand seals and a plume of smoke, Orochimaru vanished, leaving Sarutobi alone in the now empty lab. The solitude was disrupted seconds after as the elevator opened, revealing Danzou flanked by two Root operatives.

"I take it that Orochimaru has escaped with his notes?"

Sarutobi turned to face them, hiding his rage behind a blank expression, "You seem awfully unconcerned, given that a Sannin has just turned traitor. Isn't that your thought, Danzou?"

Danzou shrugged casually as he exited the elevator, "He will be hunted down and either executed or returned as a prisoner. That is of no concern, for you at least."

The Hokage subtly shifted into a defensive stance and readied a kunai without alerting the newcomers. The reassuring weight of his combat armor gave him some measure of comfort. Danzou didn't make any threatening moves however, instead just approaching him slowly and non-threateningly, "That isn't your call, Danzou. As Hokage it is my decision as to what will happen to him."

"Of course, Hokage-sama. As long as you are Hokage, you do indeed have that right." Danzou smiled gently at him, and the Third's eyes widened in alarm. He brought his hands together quickly in a hand sign and flared his Chakra, disturbing the Genjutsu he had been encased in at some point. He was too slow to prevent the Root operative from pricking him in the back with something small and sharp.

"What have you done!"

Danzou was standing in the elevator still, having not moved since his arrival, "I have done what needed to be done for the sake of Konoha. I regret that it had to come to this, but your foolish ways would have brought ruin to us all."

Sarutobi gasped as his veins began to burn from the toxins coursing through his veins. Whatever he had been stabbed with was obviously coated with something vicious, and he could already feel his body weakening.

"I am sorry, my old friend. Know that Konoha will be safe in my hands. May you find peace in the after life." He cursed softly as his vital systems quickly shut down, one by one. The last thing he was aware of was a broken snake fang being placed on the ground next to his hand. A single tear slid from his eye as he prayed for his village and the student he had unwittingly abandoned.

XxXxXxXx

Anko did her best to appear patient, but on the inside she was jittery. Her master had never offered to take her on a training journey before! Sure he left the village now and then to gather supplies for his experiments, but he was a Sannin and it was his right. He had just never asked her to accompany him. It was going to be so cool! Just him and her, working hard to improve her skills with no one for him to focus on but her. She would have him all to herself.

She grinned happily at that thought and started swinging her legs over the side of the railing she was sitting on. There was a strange pressure to the air, as though something massive was happening, and she bore it excitedly. All she had to do was wait for Orochimaru to arrive. He should be here any...

"Are you ready Anko?"

"Sensei!" She leaped down and picked up her duffel bag full of supplies and clothes she had packed earlier.

"All ready to go, huh? Excellent. We need to leave soon." Anko frowned.

"Why the rush? Shouldn't we go tell Hokage-sama that we are leaving?"

A flash of something sad passed behind Orochimaru's eyes, but it was hidden quickly. The small smile he put on immediately after made her wonder if she had seen it at all.

"I've already spoken to him about it, okay? Now come on. Adventure awaits!" Anko frowned again and backed up a step very slowly. Something wasn't right here. Her master was far too tense and he was _never _in this much of a rush.

"Sensei, what aren't you telling me?"

Orochimaru spun on his heel and groaned, covering his face with both hands and wiping downwards, ending with his fingers steepled against his bottom lip. After a moment he turned back around and dropped to his knees and placed a hand on his apprentice's shoulder. His fingers landed on the fabric covering the seal he had given her. Another of his experiments that Danzou wanted to twist to add something darker. He hadn't wavered though, and that small patch of black ink was one of his proudest works.

"Anko, look. Earlier some very bad people came to me today. They wanted me to..." His words were cut off by a loud siren cutting through the silence of the darkness. Orochimaru turned to glance at the tower and cursed loudly. Bare seconds later the village was a flurry of movement as the silhouettes of Shinobi darted from rooftop to rooftop, searching for someone. Anko backed away again, a bit quicker this time.

"Anko, please! Trust me! I did nothing wrong, but there are people who think my experiments can do more. _Should_ do more!"

"There he is! The traitor is talking to his apprentice! Get him, before he escapes!"

The Sannin cursed again and stood up, ready to run. He hesitated though, looking at the young girl before him. He really didn't want to leave her here, but there was a look of wild fear in her eyes. She backed away fast enough to stumble and she drew a kunai to defend herself when he stepped closer to her.

"Don't touch me! What's going on? Why are they calling you a traitor?" He wondered how much to tell her, but decided on everything. She was his apprentice after all, and the one he trusted most after his old team.

"I fear the Hokage has been assassinated. The people I mentioned earlier have killed him in my lab and have set it up to have me blamed for his death. I am being driven from the village, and even my old teammates will turn against me. I have a safe place to go with all of my experiments, and I beg you to come with me!"

"Your experiments? Is that what this is all about!"

"I'm sorry to say yes, I believe so. I will tell you everything I know. I will answer all your questions, but please! Come with me." The unmasked emotion on his face pulled at Anko's heartstrings, and she was torn on what to do. Should she trust her Sensei and flee with him, possibly never to return, or side with the village she had grown up in and been taught to love? She didn't know. She needed time too think!

"Orochimaru! There you are." Orochimaru cursed loudly. Danzou had found him and was flanked by two of his elite Root. He cast a quick glance at Anko. There was no way she would survive a fight with the two of them, let alone if Danzou threw his chips in and started fighting as well. The three would be a hard fight for Orochimaru himself, let alone his Genin apprentice. He silenced his heart and did what he knew to be the best decision he could make.

"I can't believe my own apprentice would turn on me like this." The hurt confusion in her eyes near broke his heart, but he steeled his face and bared his teeth at Danzou. "I thought you would have understood."

He reached into his back pocket for a kunai with a tag wrapped around the handle and threw it at Anko. Just as he expected, none of the ROOT operatives moved to intercept it, and it landed at Anko's feet and began to hiss and smoke. It sputtered at the end of its fuse however, and nothing happened. The snake Sannin sneered at the dud, and glared at Anko.

With a burst of Chakra, Orochimaru shunshined away with the two ROOT hot on his trail. They left Danzou and Anko alone in the street, tears coursing slowly down Anko's face. Danzou limped to her side and knelt down.

"You did the right thing, Mitarashi-san. He is a dangerous fugitive and cannot be trusted. Believe me when I say you will be rewarded for your actions today. Perhaps they will even lead to his capture, no?" The girl said nothing, and Danzou took it to be fear and hatred towards her prior master. The half-blind man patted her on the shoulder and turned away, leaving the way he came. What he didn't know was that Anko was speechless from the hurt and betrayal of the one man she loved most. She picked up the kunai at her feet and picked it up. With a quick rip she tore it free and unrolled it. Inside scribbled in her master's flawless handwriting was a message he had written to her.

_'__Anko._

_I am sorry for what I have done to you, but it is safer this way. They will not hate you or be distrusting __as long as you make them think you hate me, though I wouldn't blame you if you truly do already. I will be gone for many years, but I will return one day. I hope you will forgive me by then, and come with me when I leave once more._

_Orochimaru__-sensei'_

Tears filled her eyes and she balled the note up in her hands angrily. She stood in the street motionlessly as the rain began. After an eternity she returned to her home and threw her bag in the corner, sinking to sit against the door. Still crying silently, she re-read the note over and over again.

XxXxXxXx

It had nearly been two years since Danzou had taken the position of Hokage and Orochimaru had ran from the village. Over the years he had slowly turned the village into a heavily militarized city, with severe restrictions on the civilian council. But that didn't stop them from plotting. They had finally found a way to get rid of the demon brat for good when several murdered civilians were discovered after the Kyuubi festival.

The Jinchuuriki claimed that they attacked him, and was forced to fight back. Without Sarutobi to protect him from the village's wrath, they would finally run him from their glorious home once and for all. Little did they know that several eyes were on the village, specifically the young blond haired boy declared the child of destiny.

All of these eyes were different summons who were asked to keep an eye out for the boy, along with any other young children that suffered due to the village. Now that the elders had decided to banish the boy they could act. Several ANBU noticed small summons such as dogs and birds dispel across the village.

Within a hidden cave in the heart of the elemental countries, a meeting of titans was taking place.

"**Who will be the one to claim the boy as their own?**" a giant snake hissed, taking in the news that the messengers had delivered.

"**The Snake contract has two strong summoners, even if one hates the other due to Danzou's lies, my own clan is already allied with a human clan that has the Kumokimera Kekkei Genkai,**" A spider clicked out from behind its mandibles, "**It is best if Manda and myself do not participate in the attack either so Otogakure will remain blameless in.**"

"**Sadly Dokujoo is correct in her statement. Only one boss should lead the attack, and the only two unaligned clans are the Hawks, and them,**" A large male wolf snorted, pointing his snout towards several large felines patrolling the caves that they called home.

"**If you do not want the boy Master of the Hawks, then I will lead the attack.**" A low rumbling voice came from the shadows as two bright yellow eyes opened to stare at it's compatriots.

"**We hawks have found someone more suited for our contract, the Uzumaki is yours. But here is my question, where will we take those we acquire in this raid?**"The large hawk replied, his eyes gleaming

"**To Otogakure of course, my summoner Orochimaru would never turn someone shunned by that village away when they have no were to go to begin with.**" Manda hissed laying his suggestion out on the table, "**Besides, sooner or later every clan in this alliance will be allied with Oto, so we can be sure to keep an eye on the Child of Destiny as one instead of many.**"

"**Then let it be known that we will raid the Hidden Leaf tonight. We will remind these humans that why we form contracts to benefit everyone, we do not truly have need for these methods. Prepare the troops for battle.**" The shadowed figure said as he walked out into the middle of the room, towering over all of the others.

XxXxXxXx

"Men and women of Konohagakure! We have called you all here to witness the punishment of the Jinchuuriki!"Homura stood proudly over the gathered mass of Konoha. He bore a grin that hadn't been seen on his twisted visage for many long years. It didn't take a Shinobi to deduce why, either.

On a raised platform right at the base of the Hokage Tower was the bane of the village's existence. Naruto Uzumaki was positioned on display and in chains for the entire village to see. The young boy was staring back as defiantly as he could, but the amount of hatred focused on him was almost too much to bear, and he bit his lip to stop himself from crying.

"This little monstrosity has been accused of the murder of several civilians nearly two weeks ago during the Kyuubi Festival. He has escaped answering for his crimes because of the late Sandaime Hokage's intercessions. But no more! The brat has cost so many lives and hasn't answered for it, but today he will. While the sentence would be, and rightfully should be, death, killing him runs the risk of awakening the demon. Instead, we the council have decided that he is to be banished from our glorious village." Koharu motioned for a nearby ninja to set the boy loose. A burly man in an Anbu masked complied and Naruto rubbed the angry marks on his wrists where the manacles had been digging in.

"From this day onward, know that you are no longer welcome here. If you are seen on Konoha lands, or even in Hi no Kuni, you will be identified as the enemy, and treated as such. We have decided your fate, and you have been judged... EXILE!"

Naruto began to panic as the villagers and Shinobi began to converge on him and the platform. In his head he could here the beating of the drums and a memory from a life not his own stirred. The need to flee became a physical force pressing him into action, and he dashed between the villagers as well as he could. They were all yelling at him, and Naruto was reminded of all the insults he had been forced to bear. While none of the individuals in the mob spoke the words directly, their combined seemed to merge to create a single voice.

_Deception_

_Disgrace_

_Evil as plain as the scars on his face_

Naruto ran as the villagers opened up a path, trying to trip him or throwing things. The majority of the projectiles missed, either from halfhearted aim or his own movements, but something connected solidly with his back and it splattered. Wet remnants slid down his jumpsuit, soaking it through to his spine.

_Deception_

_(An outrage!)_

Some of the young adult male villagers began to chase the young boy to get him out of the village, spurring him onto greater speeds. As he ran through the main streets it seemed like everyone had turned out to watch him flee in terror. He wasn't as surprised as he should have been.

_Disgrace  
><span>__(For shame!)_

In growing desperation, Naruto began taking alleyways and back streets to evade his pursuers. By now only the most tenacious were still giving chase, and they must have been those with a personal vendetta against him. No longer were they bound by the Third's laws, and now that the 'demon brat' was an exile, they could strike out at him without fear of retribution. What a great day to be ex-Shinobi.

_He asked for trouble the moment he came_

A kunai lodged itself into the wall before him causing him to suddenly dart down another alley. Being in a closed corridor with people behind him throwing lethal weapons at him didn't seem like such a hot idea any more. Well, at least he knew why everyone held so much malicious intent towards him now. Koharu and Homura had been _kind_ enough to inform of his condemning secret.

_Deception_

_(An outrage!)_

To think that the village he had called home for so many years hated him so much. Especially over something he had no control. No say in._  
>Disgrace<span>_

_(For shame!)_

As he ran through the thinning residential district heading towards the main gate, he didn't notice an elderly woman shaking her head sadly from her balcony. The boy would never know that she was an old friend of his mother's. He would never know that she had tried to leave small packages of healthy food for him whenever she could spare it. He would never know that she was one of the few so happy about his birth, only for a horrible act of fate to destroy his life before it even had a chance to begin. The woman closed her window and closed the curtains, unable to bear watching the scene play out to its finale. She would be gone from Konoha before the week was out, and no one would be the wiser.

_He asked for trouble the moment he came_

The towering gates came into view, the only sign of salvation he could find. He reached deep into his core to withdraw all the strength he never knew he had to press on even faster trying to outrun his pursuers. Even this far into the outskirts, there were people watching his exile. Standing on the sides of the street, leaning out of windows and off of balconies, they were everywhere. Still their voices came together to create an eerie harmony of unspoken intent.

_Born in grief_

_Raised in hate_

_Helpless to defy his fate_

_Let him run_

_Let him live_

_But do not forget_

_what we cannot forgive!_

Tears coursed down his cheeks in rivers, blinding him. Tripping, he caught sight of his reflection in a large puddle. As he looked it morphed into a reflection of the Kyuubi, causing him to stand up and run faster. He would sob if he could, but he was unable to spare any breath for it, so he remained silent. In his panic and the chaos, neither he nor those giving chase noticed the thin mist that started to appear.

_And he is not one of us_

_He has never been one of us_

_He is not part of us_

_Not our kind_

He ran through the gates, where the mist was thickest. It felt like running through a curtain, and it soaked him to the bone. Still, he felt a sense of comfort. Not just in his body, but in his chest. Blinded by the strange fog and unable to distinguish his surroundings, he ran straight into a massive, warm, and furry mass.

_Someone once lied to us_

_Now we're not so blind_

_For we knew he would do what he's done_

_And we know that he'll never be one of us_

_He is not one of us_

Most of those following stopped in surprise to stare at the bizarre phenomenon. Konoha didn't have fogs like this! Not when the weather had been as dry as it was. The single Hyuuga in the crowd activated his blood-limit and stared, bewildered at the unfamiliar Chakra signature in the rolling wall of condensation. Behind them, a large crowd gathered and caught up to them. Apparently they had been following for some time now, and taken a shortcut as opposed to back alleys. In an attempt to bolster their standing amongst their friends, two men gave chase into the fog with the intent on bringing the brat back into sight.

The crowd watched on, muttering inaudibly amongst themselves. There was silence from the fog, and confusion spread as faint stirring could be seen in the milky folds. Suddenly, without preamble the two men screamed as a viscous roar came from the depths of the mist.

The wet sounds of flesh being torn and blood spattering on the ground put everyone on edge. In a gruesome display of raw power, the shredded corpses of the men were tossed lazily toward the crowd, and a few screamed in horror. What could have done such a thing?

_Deception_

The mist started rolling forward once more as it continued its approach. The crowd backed away and even more screamed as several large shapes could be seen coming towards them. It was impossible to tell what they were, but the silhouettes spoke volumes of muscular bodies on all fours.

_Disgrace_

Both Shinobi and villagers alike hastily retreated when animals of monstrous sizes began appearing out of the mists. Lions, snakes, wolves, spiders, hawks, and several other animals, many times larger than they should be, began stalking closer to them. Two majestic lionesses were leading the group, framing the form of a hulking male. When he roared, the villagers could sense an echo of their own hateful words, and their resolve and moral broke.

_Deception_

_Disgrace_

_You exile him, though he saved you from fate_

The obviously summoned creatures stalked closer as the villagers began to run. Many were terrified that they were being invaded by some foreign power. Others didn't know what to think, and still more were simply too afraid to think at all. They all shared one thing though. They all gave up their thoughts in their mindless scramble to escape.

_Deception_

The shinobi in the mob did what they could to drive them off, but there were far too many to kill or even hold back. For every beast that dispersed into a plume of dark smoke, two more eagerly took their place. None of them attacked though, opting instead to defend themselves with lethal precision. The best the Konoha-nin could hope for was to fall back and try to keep the monsters away from the civilians.

_Disgrace_

Several wolves began herding the Inuzuka clan members and dogs away from the other summons, separating them from their pack. Every attempt of the canine clan to speak with their feral brethren was met with barely restrained hostility. The enemy pack was simply to enraged, or unwilling, to talk. Still, they were able to pick up the faint traces of the words, lingering in the air. They wouldn't recall them later, but they understood better than anyone what was happening.

_You hate him for the scars on his face_

A massive hawk summon with a wing span easily the length of a power pole swooped down and snatched a purple haired orphan girl from the streets as she tried to flee. Her screams echoed along the crowd, but no one moved to save her. After all, what was some orphan girl when their own families and selves were in danger?

_Deception_

The Aburame clan quickly found itself surrounded by the spider summons, and every clan member with a hive of Kikaichu tensed at the presence of their natural enemies. The arachnids didn't attack them, though they never lowered their aggressive stance either. Instead, they moved closer and closer, forcing the humans to back up. The more perceptive of the group noticed they were being herded towards the Inuzuka, though they were helpless to do anything about it.

_Disgrace_

From the fringe of the crowd came a scream of terror, as another of their number was taken from them for whatever reasons. A red and black snake who was as thick as a merchant cart had snapped up an outcast boy and vanished without a trace. No one bothered to spare a thought as to what would become of him.

_You asked for trouble and forward we came_

Gradually but relentlessly, the other species continued to herd both the Shinobi clans and the clanless civilians alike in the direction of the Hokage tower. The men and women held their breath as they were forced to whatever goals the animals had in mind.

_Born in grief_

_Raised in hate_

_He will soon find his fate_

_Let him run_

_Let him live_

_But you'll come to fear him,_

_Remember his name!_

Before long the entire village had been herded to the base of the tower. Danzou was atop of the tower with several contingents of ROOT, trying to figure out what was going on. He had only just been alerted to the actions of the 'Council', and he was furious. The Jinchuuriki was the single biggest asset in the entire village, bar none. He was even a large part of the reasoning behind Sarutobi's death. And those two fools decided to kick him out simply because of a few grudges and their hopes for a better approval rating among the sheep-like masses? He made a mental note to have them dealt with in the near future. If they thought they were going to have the same liberties as they did when Sarutobi was in office, they were sorely mistaken.

But that was going to have to wait. For now he had to figure out what these dumb beasts were doing in his village, killing and terrifying his people. His answer came in the form of the leader of the group. The boss summon, it would appear, of the Lions themselves. When the ROOT operatives had come to him with details of what was happening, he didn't believe it. Sure the Lion contract existed, but it hadn't been seen in decades. For them to just show up on a spur of the moment like thing? Highly unlikely. There was more going on here than he was being told.

_This cub is one of us_

_He will always be one of us_

_He is a part of us_

_He is of our kind_

_He is loyal_

_He is kind_

_You are spiteful_

_And we'll return it to you in kind!_

_He is one of us_

The massive creature continued with thundering footsteps that shook the ground they stood on. The minor animals watched as he approached, and backed away. Even those not of his species stepped aside in reverence to his size and power. One by one, each of the summons disappeared into the mist, leaving the bodies of the dead. Most were shinobi, though there were a fair share of civilians to pad the toll.

_Deception_

The unnamed titan stared directly into the unfaltering face of the new Hokage, ignoring the scurrying humans at his feet, two of which were the self-proclaimed Council that would drive a young boy from his home in such an obscene manner. Yes, they were bad. But the man in front of him? This snake in the grass? He was far worse. Still, Danzou was not the target of this attack, and was as such ignored. The two elderly ninja, now enticing the others of their kind to attack his legs? They were not to share the same fate.

_Disgrace_

The lion looked down at Homura and Koharu in disgust. With a vicious snarl, he batted both of them in a single swipe of his paw and sent them bouncing sickeningly off of the stone wall. The medics of the surrounding Shinobi force made to check on them, but were killed by the boss grinding them into the earth with a massive paw. After a moment, Homura showed signs of movement, betraying his advanced age, and he propped himself up on one hand, twisting to look back at the mountain that had attacked him. It gave a feral grin, showing gleaming teeth, each of which was longer than the old man was tall, before crushing him with his paw.

With death assured for the two humans that would dare treat a boy such as they did, the lion gave an earth shattering roar of triumph. The people listening wouldn't recall how long it lasted, but all would agree that it was an eternity. When it finally subsided, it turned and simply walked into the still thick mist, hanging around the entrance of the village. By the time it had faded, everything was long gone. Including the tracks.

_Deception_

Not three seconds after the lion had began roaring, Danzou had heard an ear-shattering snap behind him causing everyone to look at the Hokage mountain. A large crack had nearly split the fourth's face in half, and a wave of freshly sown terror swept through the crowd. For a moment, away from the eyes of everyone looking to him for leadership, even Danzou paled at the implication.

XxXxXxXx

Translations:

Kumokimera – Spider chimera

Dokujoo – Poisoned web

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Songs:

One of Us – Owned by Disney corporation, The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride. Second half created by us using rhythm and lyrics of the original.

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Update – Fixing the awkward areas and spelling mistakes

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Nikolai's A/N: _Well here we are, my old friends. A new chapter for a new fic. I hope you enjoyed what we have to offer, and here's hoping you will continue to stick around. If the reception is pretty well, me and my friend here might just have some more work to do in the future. This is Nik0laiCarpathia saying, Stay Frosty..._

Dingo's A/N: **This was fun to write. I had already had the first draft on my profile and was working on revising it when Nikolai came forward with the idea of turning this into a coauthored fic. We both hope that we can keep this level of work for this story, and we welcome any feed back. This is Dingo T. Wilds, signing out.**


	2. Chapter 2: Arival

Disclaimer: We of British Outback Inc. do not own Naruto, which is the property of Kishimoto. Any songs that we use will be declared at the end of the chapter.

XxXxXxXx

"Misane! Take this to table three!"the chef yelled from the kitchen as a tray of tea and dango appeared on the counter. Sighing, the waitress picked it up and walked nervously towards the three men at table three. It was easy to tell that they were ninja from Konoha, from their armor and scars as well as the headbands marked with the leaf insignia. Carefully setting down the tray on the edge of the table, she quietly passed out the orders.

"Thank you miss,"This surprised Misane as the large man smiled, "My name is Chouza Akimichi, and these two are my teammates, Shikaku Nara and Inoichi Yamanaka."

She was even more surprised at the good natured waves the two gave, and began doubting them.

"Are you really Konoha shinobi? You don't act like it and I don't see the kanji for ROOT anywhere on you."she said as her eyes narrowed. The one called Shikaku chuckled at this. Turning her glare towards him he muttered under his breath.

"Troublesome kid."

"WHAT WAS THAT!"she screeched. Before she could bash him in the head with her tray the chef called out, "Misane! Are you harassing the customers again?"

"No Uncle!"she turned back to the group, "If you guys are spying on Konoha, your doing a poor job."

Before Shikaku could mutter another word, Inoichi spoke up.

"It's not as it seems child. You see there are three factions within Konoha. The first faction is ROOT, the shinobi you seem to have the most interaction with. These shinobi are completely loyal to Lord Hokage to the point of fanaticism, and have no emotions. The second group are a couple clans and stronger shinobi such as the Inuzuka and Aburame clans that are loyal to the Village itself and despise the Hokage for his policies and warlike ways."Inoichi then gestured to his companions and himself, "Our clans, Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka are more of the neutral group that tries to keep the peace along with several of the civilian guilds. We just try to keep the village going day to day and try to stave off civil war."

Misane looked down red in the face she had assumed that they were spies and got gently told off for it. Realizing that they had be walking away fro Konoha when they had come into the shop, she asked where they were heading.

"To Otogakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Sound."

XxXxXxXx

The three friends walked down the road at a leisurely pace after finishing their meal. while Chouza patted his stomach contently, he wondered aloud, "Do either of you know why we were chosen for this mission?"

Inoichi shrugged as he turned to Shikaku, who in turn sighed. "I believe we were chosen because we are dealing with a village created by Orochimaru. Even though Danzou and Orochimaru are known enemies, Danzou can't risk sending someone loyal to him here and have them say the wrong thing, not when Oto is backed by Kumo and also have tentative agreements with Taki and Kusa."

"Then why not send Kakashi or Gai?"Inoichi asked, "They are not loyal to the Hokage, but to the village after all."

"Because that is even worse. Remember the mission to Iwa to resign the Ceasefire Armistice that Lord Hokage had me and Kakashi accompany him on?"Chouza and Inoichi nodded, "Well that's the reason Kakashi isn't sent on sensitive missions like this, and Gai believes it's a contest between the two of them."

"But I thought that the culprit wasn't caught and no one could be blamed."Chouza said as he pulled a bag of chips out. Shikaku didn't reply as he though back to the disastrous day.

XxXxXxXx

Flashback, Border Town between the lands of Earth and Fire.

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"Lord Hokage, Oonoki-sama sent me to retrieve you for the signing."An Iwa Jonin said. Danzou looked up from the desk in his hotel room to the open door. Nodding, he signaled Shikaku and Kakashi to follow. Before shutting the door, Kakashi made a shadow clone.

"Just in case some one tries to break in. There are important documents in here after all."Danzou shook his head, but allowed the paranoid Jonin to leave the clone. As they left Kakashi turned to the clone, "You know what to do."

The clone sat down on the couch and flipped open a little orange book, "Of course."

The Iwa Jonin lead them down the street, where the three Konoha nationals were openly stared at, as this to was considered Iwa territory. Several Chuunin and Jonin Iwa nin milled around waiting for there teams to either finish a mission or stock up on supplies to start a longer mission. Several of the older ones openly glared at Kakashi and Danzou for the roles in the Third Shinobi War, but more glared at Kakashi for being the Yondiame Hokage's student.

The group finally made it to the town hall and entered. There were several Iwa nin inside flanking the old Tsuchikage, but they were mere Chuunin. The negotiations were for once going rather well for both sides as they hashed out a new agreement for the armistice when screams of anger and outrage began to filter in to the room from outside. As everyone in the room tensed up ready for a fight, the roof exploded in a shower of splinters as a blond man wearing a white cloak landed on the table in the center of the room, a blue orb of chakra fading out of site from his hand. It was the Yellow Flash of Konoha.

The reaction to this was almost instantaneous, as the Tsuchikage face went from disbelief to anger before he attacked.

"NAMIKAZE!"he roared as a three dimensional cube of chakra was shot forward from his hands atomizing the table, the armistice, and a good portion of the floor as the Yondiame leapt to avoid the attack. Danzou was furious. "Shikaku! Capture the imposter!"

"Hai, Hai,"stretching his shadow as fast as he could, but the man jumped through the window, with the Tsuchikage giving chase. Soon it came down to every Iwa nin in the town throwing around highly catastrophic and damaging jutsu as the civilians fled to the edge of town. When the Yondiame was finally cornered by several Jonin and the Tsuchikage in an alley, he only chuckled.

"And what is so funny Namikaze?"Oonoki asked preparing for a counter attack.

"You've been chasing me all afternoon right?"Oonoki slowly nodded. Suddenly the blond bastard smirked at him and dispersed in a cloud of smoke!

"A shadow clone. Kakashi, you wouldn't happen to know anything about this would you?"Danzou asked as he looked back at the Copy-nin. Kakashi looked up from his book, "I'm sorry, Lord Hokage, did you say something?"

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Flashback end

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"The reason that Danzou suspected Kakashi is because Kakashi had left a shadow clone at the inn, but the clone was there when we returned. That entire event set back negotiations for weeks and left everyone frustrated,"Shikaku sighed. Looking at the sun's position in the sky he did a quick calculation, "Come on, if we continue at this pace we should reach Oto's South Gate in an hour."

The three made decent time to the village talking about their children and other missions the have done recently, glad to work as a team once more. On the horizon loomed a solitary mountain that housed Oto, faint music drifting over the plains of the country. It was a natural sound, the sounds of water running, the wind blowing through the mountain's nooks and crags. Insects humming and animals calling out. The sounds of nature intermingled with those of man as well. A farmer rhythmically chopping wood, children helping there parents in the garden, and then those who practiced instruments, be they ninja or civilian. The overall effect was a natural smooth tone that left an easy feeling inside each of them.

"I see you have discovered the reason our village was named so."a large man with a mohawk said as they passed, causing them to stop and look at him, "My Name is Jiroubou, Jonin of Oto and one of the personal bodyguards of Lord Orochimaru. If I may, are you the contingent from Konoha to interview our Chuunin hopefuls?"

"Yes, Jiroubou-san. I am Shikaku Nara, and my companions are Inoichi Yamanaka and Chouza Akimichi, each of use Jonin of Konoha. Are you our escort for our stay?"

The large man stood up and motioned them to follow. Leading them through the gates, they immediately noticed that the village design was similar to Konoha, but the architecture was closer to Kusa and Kumo. The atmosphere that they had felt outside the village had changed almost to a festive beat, as though the village was in constant celebration. Chouza smiled as he watch several Genin playing with children teaching them the basics of stealth with the well known game of ninja. Two of the Genin had gotten into a mock taijutsu fight acting as Jonin squad leaders when one held out an arm and sent the other one flying with a low level fuuton jutsu. The other boy crashed into Jiroubou, but the large man barely felt a thing.

"Sorry about that Jiroubou-san,"the first boy said, running his hand through his spiky black hair, "You alright Sai?"

The second boy, Sai, put on a creepy fake smile, "Of course Zaku, after all, my team won."

Zaku quickly turned around to see the academy students that were on his team hogtied on the ground as the three Sai lead where letting out shouts of victory when several water balloons exploded around them as a third team stood on the roof behind them being lead by a white haired boy.

"Give it up you two! I'm the top dog here!"

"So you do hump dogs, interesting."Everyone turned to stare at Sai, who asked "Did I say something wrong?"

"Sai, Zaku, Suigetsu. Find your teams and report to the Otokage chambers. These three men are conducting the evaluation for those who wish to enter the Chuunin Exams in Konoha."

The three Genin looked at the Konoha symbol on Inoichi's headband, before Zaku asked, "What about…."

"Nanashi, Ami, and Tobio know better than to let their feelings about Konoha get the better of them. Now hurry. Nanashi and his team are already waiting with Lord Orochimaru."

As the three ran off to find their teams, Jiroubou shooed the children off towards the park. Continuing to their destination, Shikaku voice a couple of questions, "Who where those children you mentioned? And where are your shinobi geared shops and buildings, all I see are civilian stores."

"The answer for your second question is simple. The shinobi area is in the inner circle of the village at the base of the mountain where most civilians aren't allowed, while our more vital parts such as the Otokage Chambers and academy are either a part of or built into the mountain itself. And for your first question, well…"the large man shifted uncomfortably, "They are children of Lord Orochimaru's former scientists from Konoha. Their parents were killed for assisting Lord Orochimaru, leaving them orphaned at a young age."

Chouza bowed his head, tears coming to his eyes. Some of the children had escaped after all. Shikaku patted his friend on the shoulder as Inoichi explained, "Chouza had witnessed some of the more enraged citizens kill one of those families, the children where not spared. I think that's the only time he's ever lost control like he did. Children are sacred to our clans as our numbers have never reached high enough for us to be considered major clans like the Hyuuga, Uchiha, or Aburame."

Jiroubou smiled at this, knowing that the bastard Danzou had made sure to choose wisely enough to make sure that he did not force a conflict. He motioned them once more to follow as they entered through a second gate manned by a pair of grey haired twins.

"Sakon, Ukon. Lord Orochimaru wishes to speak with you after you get off of duty."Sakon, the one wearing the prayer beads nodded while his brother Ukon moved to open the gate. The trio looked around and saw the militaristic side of Oto, and once again, the music in the air seemed to have changed again to match the surroundings. It still calmed them, but it also put them in alert like they would receive orders at anytime. Chuckling at the subtle shift in his charge's attitudes, Jiroubou motioned towards a large man-made cavern entrance.

"Enter through here and continue straight down the hall to the Otokage Chambers. Lord Orochimaru wishes to speak to you before the interviews are to begin."Shikaku nodded as he took the lead heading down the tunnel. The trio soon came upon a large ornate door with two paths branching out to either side. Knocking twice, Shikaku let himself and his team in when the familiar voice of the Snake Sannin asked them to enter.

Looking up from his desk, Orochimaru smiled at the three familiar faces that entered, "Well it seems that Danzou isn't as foolish as I though. If he had sent his ROOT shinobi, I would of refused to enter our genin into this exam."

"He said he wanted the best of all the countries to enter as the clan heirs have all been entered by their sensei's this year. He wishes for a true show of strength in the finals to impress everyone."

Orochimaru nodded before slipping into his role as the leader of Otogakure, "When you interview my Genin, you will not ask them about village secrets or clan secrets. Sooner or later most of these children will be building up their sparse clans and I do not want their secrets to be laid bare before hand,"at this he looked directly at Inoichi before continuing. "There are three rooms we will use to conduct the interviews. We will bring in one team and you will each take one team member and talk with them, rotating through them until you have seen each of them. My three best Jonin will be sitting in with you, they as well as I have Genin teams that will be interviewed before this is over. There are ten teams that have been assembled, and waiting for you to start. Are we clear on the specifications?"

Shikaku mulled over the conditions of the interviews, and Danzou's orders. They were ordered to bring at least two Oto teams into the exams, anyway possible. The terms laid out before them weren't as bad as he thought they would be, so he stood up and agreed, "Of course Otokage-sama."

Orochimaru shook his head as he said, "Don't call me that, I'm not an official kage no matter what my shinobi wish for."

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Chouza, Inoichi, And Shikaku sat at the large table in the quarters provide by their host, the so-called Traitor Sanin. After many long hours of intensive questioning and cross referencing the Genin of Oto, The three where comparing notes and results based on each of their thoughts for the Genin.

"So are there any of these Genin that stood out to you guys?"Inoichi asked, flipping through his notepad, "Our guide, Jiroubou, his team seemed almost normal compared to the others. Other than that Kidoumaru kid having three sets of arms at least."

"The team leader, Ami, was open about her past in Konoha. Also open about her hatred of the civilians."Shikaku sighed, looking over Chouza's notes about the team.

"They're good enough to get in. Now Orochimaru's pet project, what about them?"

"Just because they're the village leaders personal students doesn't mean that they have the strength that's required to give Hokage-sama the competition that he wants to showcase for the clientele."

Chouza picked something out from between his teeth with the bone he just finished with, "That Juugo kid, his reserves where massive, though his chakra seemed twisted and tainted…"

All three shivered at the memory. The tall boy had walked into the room and began mumbling to himself before the kid with the hooded mask laid his hand on his shoulder, causing Juugo to straighten up.

"The masked kid, Nanashi. The name sounds more like a title that was given to him."Inoichi sighed, flipping to the boy's page, "Both he and his teammate, Tayuya, had those instruments."

"They have to be more than just simple instruments. The two of them where too possessive of them. Perhaps they have techniques that require them?"Chouza wondered, reaching for Shikaku's untouched food, only for his hand withdraw as Shikaku lazily stabbed at it.

"Seems to be the logical conclusion. They're in. How about the Kaguya's team, the one with the seven swordsman wannabe? Suigetsu and Sai, the two playing with the academy students, seem to be polar opposites."

"I noticed that, but the girl, Isaribi, balanced the two of them out. They seemed to have a tighter knit team than most of the others."

"She does seem as if she is the binding element for the team. We really didn't get much on their fighting styles other than the boys had swords."

Shikaku mumbled something about swordsman wannabes, "What do you guys say, pass or accept?"

"Let's let them in, at least the two boys should provide some entertainment."Chouza said, once again reaching for Shikaku's plate. It continued this way, accepting two more of the evaluated teams while passing over several others. Finally reaching the last team, Inoichi shuddered.

"It's Orochimaru's right hand, Kabuto Yakushi. These kids have bounties like some of the others do, but for being high C-ranks, the bounties are highly disproportional."

"It's the Tobio kid, right? Him and the girl make up the tag team medical assassins."

"Name: Tobio, AKA: The Doctor. Rank: High C. Posted Bounty: 6,900 Ryo. Name: Kin Tsuchi, AKA: The Nurse. Rank: Mid to High C. Posted Bounty: 6,100 Ryo. Notice: these two have completed many assassinations posing as medical personnel to take down their targets. Very proficient with poisons."Shikaku read from the Bingo Book that the Hokage had issued to each shinobi Chuunin and up, "Like the others, their first bounties where because of who their sensei is, but they built on it themselves. It also seems as if that Zaku kid from earlier was almost place on the team as a spot filler."

"Based on reputation alone this team is ready for the exams. I vote for their entry."Chouza said.

"But our children and friend's children are or may be participating. Do you want them to die?"Inoichi argued, knowing for a fact that his daughter's captain was recommending all three of their kids for the exams.

"It would be no different then when we took the exams ourselves. There are rules and proctors to keep things from getting to out of hand. Two to one, Inoichi, the team is in."Shikaku said as he separated the six accepted teams from the others, "Now lets get some rest and turn these over to Orochimaru in the morning. Lord Danzou would like to know the number of teams the day after tomorrow, and we have a long way to go."

XxXxXxXx

"Chouza Akimichi, Shikaku Nara, and Inoichi Yamanaka, reporting in from The Chuunin Exam Oto applicant interviews."Chouza announced to the two guards standing at either side of the Hokage's office. Both ROOT operatives flew through several hand signs before casting a strong pulse of chakra. This was Danzou's paranoid attempt to keep attackers from sneaking into his office under genjutsu or henge, but the trio suffered through it to hand in their report.

"Clear, you may proceed."One of the ROOT said, pushing open the door.

"Ah, here you are, on time and prompt."Danzou said, looking up from his paperwork, "Report."

Shikaku stepped forward, handing the aged Hokage the summary report of the teams.

"Lord Godaime, we have selected six of the teams presented to us by the leader of the village, Orochimaru. The teams are listed within the report."

"Please give me a brief overview of the teams, who their Jonin captains are, and their perceived roles as a team."

Shikaku sighed, not liking the fact that he was being interrogated for information on Orochimaru's shinobi.

"The first team is lead by Orochimaru himself, and the Genin members are Nanashi, Tayuya of the North Gate, and Juugo of the Forsaken. Primary Role: Demolition team. The second team is lead by Orochimaru's right hand, Kabuto. The Genin members are Tobio 'The Doctor', Kin Tsuchi 'The Nurse', and Zaku Abumi. Primary Role: Medical Team. The third team, under Jiroubou of the South Gate, are the Genin Kidoumaru of the East Gate, Ami, and Dosu Kinuta. Primary Role: Tracker Team."

Inoichi took over, "The next team is lead by Kimimaro Kaguya. The Genin are Suigetsu Hozuki, Isaribi, and Sai. Primary Role: Support Team. The fifth team is Lead by Ryuku 'The Shinigami'. Genin members are Raito Yagami, Misa Amane, and L Lawliet. Primary Role: Intelligence Team. The final team is lead by Fausuto Hassei 'Faust VIII'. Genin members are Horokeu Usui 'Horohoro', Yoh Asakura, and Ryunosuke Uremia 'Wooden Sword Ryu'. Primary Role: Unknown."

Danzou mentally reviewed the teams in his head as well as the intelligence that had been gathered on the village before hand. The fact that Orochimaru and so many of his high leveled Jonin took teams was no surprise, as the village was still had a smaller shinobi force, despite the number of civilians estimated within the walls.

"Very well, you may go. Your next assignments will be waiting for you tomorrow at the missions desk."

The three men offered curt bows to their leader before heading home.

XxXxXxXx

"Dad! Your back!"A roundish boy shouted out from the training fields beside Chouza's home.

"Hey, Chouji."Chouza patted his son on the back, "hey, you want to help me grill up a few ribs?"

Chouji nodded, the time he and his dad spent barbequing food was often informative and how he had learned the theory behind his clan techniques, or listened to tales about missions that his dad had been on. As he went to retrieve two racks of ribs for their afternoon energy boost, Chouza fired up the barbeque and laid out the required utensils on the table nearby. As Chouji came back with the meat, he picked out the special barbeque sauce that he and Chouji had made together when the boy was still a small child.

As Chouji fiddled with the ribs, getting them into the perfect postion, Chouza started the conversation.

"Has Asuma-san nominated your team for the exams?"

"Yes Dad, he said we are more than ready for them."

"How do you feel about that assessment? Do you feel ready for the exams?"

Chouji thought over the question for a moment, "Shikamaru is, and I believe I am, but Ino has not improved as much as the two of us are, I'm worried that she will be hurt because of that."

"And it's right for you to worry about your teammates. It shows that you truly care about them, almost like one of the Oto teams we interviewed on my last mission."

Chouza chuckled as Chouji perked up at this, "Really? What's that team like?"

"The two boys where complete opposites, one of them was brash, loud and boisterous, while the other one has a limited understanding of common sayings and phrases, often putting them at odds, and the girl was so soft spoken that she seemed to fade into the background. But even with all that going on, I could see the camaraderie that they shared, willing to lay down their lives to allow the others to escape, but also to not leave anyone behind."

"Like you and your friends, right Dad?"

"Yes Chouji, exactly like that. Now, how's that technique I showed you coming along?"

XxXxXxXx

Shikaku sat on the floor of his living room across from his son, a shogi board in between them. Neither said much, and with his wife out, Shikaku took the opportunity to test his son in the realms of strategy. The boy had improved since the last time they had sat down for a match, but he still had room for improvement.

"Be careful in the exams boy."

Clack.

"The teams you interviewed that strong?"

Clack.

Shikaku grunted as he bypassed his son's defense, putting his son's king in jeopardy.

"Tch. What a drag."

Clack.

Shikaku surveyed the board before moving his piece, "Shikamaru, promise me, if you or your team are in danger, use _that_ technique to escape and quit the exams. There is always next time."

"I wouldn't of even of agreed if there wasn't a chance for him to… show up."

Shikaku watched his son's face. One of Shikamaru's friends had disappeared in the Summons's Raid all those years ago, and it drove him to improve, his goal to find the boy.

Smiling, Shikaku replied, "I know, otherwise you would deem it a waste of time that could be use slacking, right?"

With a grand gesture, Shikaku moved one final piece, "Checkmate."

"Tch, troublesome old man."

XxXxXxXx

Inoichi stood at the kitchen counter, dicing vegetables for his wife to use in stir-fry. His wife seemed concerned about the mood he had come home in, almost as if he was worried about something big.

"Inoichi dear, what's wrong? You haven't been in a good mood since you came home."

Inoichi sighed, setting the knife down. Turning to his wife he gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"The Oto Genin we interviewed, most of them are in the Bingo Book. Two of them are… extremely deadly."

"What do you mean, aren't all shinobi like that?"

"No honey. These two are different. They're the same age as our daughter, but the two of them have a known kill tally of hundreds. Most of them influential politicians and shinobi from nearby settlements and villages."

They both jumped as a new voice entered the conversation, "Are there really people like that entering the exams?"

'Shit, I shouldn't of said anything,' Inoichi thought before turning to his daughter, "I'm sorry to say so but yes Ino, there are people like that in the exams."

"Who are they?"

"I can't tell you that. Now get washed up for dinner, I want to show you a new clan jutsu after dinner."

Ino huffed, but did as she was told. She would find out one way or another, or she wasn't a Yamanaka.

XxXxXxXx

Two months passed before the Chuunin Exams drew near, and Konoha was busy preparing for the visiting dignitaries and shinobi. The higher ups also focused on training up their Chuunin hopefuls, while the Chuunin and unassigned Jonin organized the exams. But Konoha wasn't the only village to prepare for the exams. Every village had sent teams, and they were all converging on Konoha within a weeks time.

The Oto Genin were approaching Konoha, moving at a comfortable pace. Their Jonin leaders trailed a little behind, discussing the most recent training that they had given their teams when Juugo spoke up for the first time since they left Otogakure.

"The melody here…it's unnatural. It feels as though Konoha is marching to the beat of war drums."

"It's really obvious if you noticed it, ya psycho."Suigetsu said as he walked behind Juugo and Nanashi, ducking as Juugo suddenly swung his hand backwards, the back of his hand connecting to the zanbatou's hilt that showed over Suigetsu's shoulder. This was enough to spin Suigetsu around, but before he could retaliate, a spike of bone embedded itself in the ground between the two.

"It would be best if you two would wait until the exams to take care of that pent up energy."a white haired man said, glaring at Suigetsu in particular.

"Yes, Kimimaro-Sensei."

They continued on in silence until they reached the Gates of Konoha. There they where stopped by two ROOT operatives, who checked their belongings to prevent illegal goods to be smuggled in and directed the group to two Chuunin sitting at the check-in station.

"Well who do we have here? You two still working the Gates?"Orochimaru chuckled as the two guards paled, "We are here for the exams Kotetsu, Izumo."

"Y-yes, of course Orochimaru-sama. Please let us see your passports."Izumo stuttered out, clearly unnerved at the Snake Sannin's whimsical attitude. The Oto ninja turned over their passports one at a time, Kotetsu cross checked them with a list in his hand.

"Everything checks out. Each team has one three room suite reserved for them at the Ha-Tobure-Ku Inn. Jonin captains are to check in with Lord Hokage while the Genin are free to roam around these areas,"at this Kotetsu handed each team a map, "The red areas are forbidden for you to enter, doing so will result in dropping out of the exams and being detained for questioning. The training grounds marked in green are normally unused by our shinobi and you may use them if you wish."

Turning to the Genin, Orochimaru dismissed them, telling them to stay with their team and to meet them at the Inn at sun down. The teams walked off, splitting up as they went.

XxXxXxXx

"Danzou sure seems full of himself,"Orochimaru commented as they entered the Meeting Room, waiting for Danzou to come out to meet with them. The room contained an ornate throne on a raised platform, protected by a strong barrier seal.

"Paranoid as well,"Kabuto commented as he pushed his glasses up.

"A touch of paranoia can keep you alive, considering my given company,"Danzou said, sitting down on the throne, flanked by several ROOT ANBU.

"Of course,"Orochimaru hissed, his eyes narrowing, "We were told to meet you here for something important?"

"It is an important matter for me, all I wish for is that any Jonin leader with Genin in the exams give their word that they will control their students to prevent any mishaps that could affect both villages, and I will give my word that I will do the same with civilians and Shinobi of Konoha."

Orochimaru frowned, they would need something more concrete than that.

"Hokage-sama, If I may,"one of the other Jonin, Ryuku, interjected, "Given the previous history with many of our villagers and some shinobi with Konoha, I believe that Orochimaru-sama would feel it better if we had a more… permanent agreement for the duration of the exams. Perhaps in writing?"

Orochimaru chuckled once more. Despite Ryuku's fearsome appearance and reputation, he was first and foremost a spy and intelligence agent.

"That would indeed put my mind at ease, Danzou-san. Would that be acceptable for you?"

Danzou looked as impassive as ever, but inside he was trashing and rewriting many of his plans for the Oto-nin. If he wanted them to stay for the exams, and prove that Konoha could over come any village, he would have to agree.

"Of course, Fu, fetch a blank ceasefire document, Torune, take some others and retrieve the Clan heads to witness this,"Danzou ordered before turning back to the assemble Oto-nin, "Do you wish for your teams to be brought here to witness this?"

"No, the six of us make up most of the Oto Ruling Council. The other four have teams that were passed over in the interviews, but that's more than enough to run the village."

After the document was written up and the Clan heads where assembled, Danzou walked through the barrier and signed the ceasefire while stating, "I, Danzou Shimura the Godaime Hokage, state that I will keep the populace and shinobi of Konoha from starting any hostilities with the Otogakure representatives outside of the exams."

Ryuku and Fausuto signed, stating that as the Jonin Squad leaders, they would take responsibility for the actions of their Genin outside of the exams. Jiroubou was next.

"I, Jiroubou of the South Gate, state that I will take responsibility for the Genin of my squad outside of the Chuunin exams"

XxXxXxXx

At the Same Time

XxXxXxXx

Tenten sat on a low wall watching her sensei and teammate get into a competition over who could do more push ups, her other teammate Neji Hyuuga standing close by under a tree. Feeling bored, she pulled a kunai from one of her many pouches and began flipping in the air. By the time the two fitness freaks had reached two hundred pushups, a large Red-tailed hawk swooped down and snatched her kunai in mid toss, before circling above them.

"Hey Bird Brain! Get back here with that!"Tenten yelled, readying a handful of shuriken, ready to take the bird out of the air when a loud and piercing whistle reached them and the hawk dived towards the entrance of the training grounds.

"Hey Panda-girl, been a while, eh?"

Tenten stared at a childhood tormentor from the early days in the academy. Despite being a year younger than Tenten, this purple-haired girl was able to bully her and several others from many of the classes due to her having higher chakra reserves and strength than most of the others in the first few years of the academy. Last she had heard, Ami had disappeared after the Raid, reports saying that she was carried off by a hawk summon.

"H-how? You where kidnapped!"

"My father worked for Orochimaru-sama while he was still a Konoha-nin, but the civilians murdered my family not long after hr fled. I got lucky and escaped, the hawks choose me as their summoner."Ami removed the kunai from the hawk's talons, "You still have this old thing? You always were a nut, but this thing barely qualifies as a paperweight now, much less a weapon."

Tenten fumed. That kunai was the first one she had ever made in her father's forge, and was a memento from happier times when her mother was alive.

"Give…it…back…."

"Make me Bunbun."

Tenten let out a snarl and lunged, Ami dodging out of the way, keeping just out of reach. Her teammate, Rock Lee, stopped to go help her, but a boy who's face was covered in bandages stepped in his way. Lee heard a slight sound, and suddenly his view shifted.

"Gai-sensei, Why is the ground in the sky?"

"Ha, idiot,"Neji said, though a sharp look from Gai made him get up to help his teammates.

"So, you're a Hyuuga? Not much to look at."the last boy who had come with Ami said.

"Unlike you, a six-armed freak, Fate has declared my superiority over those such as yourself."

"Really now? Then why are you surrounded?"the six-armed teen pulled his arms back, binding the Hyuuga in fine strands of silk. Neji immediately pulsed his chakra to break the strands, before attacking the boy, who dodge and began to insult the Hyuuga's ancestry.

Gai sighed, watching his team lose their cool because of a few insults and a little name calling. He felt like he should step in and stop it, but didn't have the chance as a ROOT operative landed in the field.

"All of you are to come with me for disturbing the peace."

XxXxXxXx

"I, Kabuto Yakushi, state that I will take responsibility for the Genin of my squad outside of the Chuunin exams"

XxXxXxXx

At the Same Time

XxXxXxXx

"How long are those two going to follow us?"Zaku whispered to Kin, who shrugged.

"Tobio is from here, maybe they recognize him."Kin replied.

Zaku sighed as he caught a tubby boy and a blond girl out of the corner of his eye, following them just inside the tree line. He shook his head before turning to Kin once more.

"So Kin…have you and Nar…AHHHH!"

Zaku was pressed against the wall, outlined perfectly with senbon. Chouji gasped and got hit over the head.

"Idiot! Now they know we're here!"

"Yes, we do."Ino shrieked as the silent boy had appeared behind her, "Now Nurse, the scalpel."

Ino screamed as the boy morphed into a demon, and approached her with scalpel in hand.

"Bubun Baika!"Tobio was suddenly engulfed by a large fist, as Chouji glared at the boy within his grasp.

"Harm one hair on her head, and I'll crush you."

"Drop the douche bag, or I'll blow your brains all over the forest floor."

Chouji turned his head to see Zaku aiming both arms at him, palms facing him. Slowly releasing his captive, Chouji pulled Ino behind him. As Zaku backed up, Tobio released a wave of senbon, outlining Zaku once again up against the tree.

"What was that for?"

"You called him a douche bag."Kin replied, obviously upset.

Before they could continue, an ANBU with the kanji for ROOT dropped out of the trees.

"All of you are to come with me for disturbing the peace."

XxXxXxXx

"I, Kimimaro Kaguya, state that I will take responsibility for the Genin of my squad outside of the Chuunin exams"

XxXxXxXx

At the Same Time

XxXxXxXx

Suigetsu smiled at two civilian girls as he and his team passed through the market. He flexed his muscles. The two girls blushed and giggle behind their hands, watching him.

"Hey Bedwetter, are you sure we're going the right way?"

Suigetsu froze in mid step, before turning around and shouting, "I told you never to call me that! I just have problems maintaining control when I sleep."

Now the girls where giggling for an entirely different reason, along with many others in the marketplace.

"Yes, therefore, you are Bedwetter"

"That's it!"Suigetsu swings his zanbatou like a baseball bat, catching Sai with the flat of the blade. Sai opened his eyes as a dangerous glint appeared in them. As Sai went into a series of kicks and parries using the tanto. Isaribi sighed, knowing what they were arguing about, but Sai's nickname drove Suigetsu over the edge, again.

"Hey guys, break it up. There are civilians-oof!"Isaribi watched as a feral looking boy tried to pry her teammates apart, before a sign caught her eye, and she wandered off into the shop.

"Come on you two at least take it to a train-yeouch!"the feral boy yelled, "All right we do this the hard way, get them Akamaru!"

A white dog that stood a little higher than the boy's knee jumped into the fray, latching on to Suigetsu's arm, who began waving said arm around in an attempt to detach the dog. As the boy pulled Sai into a choke hold, a sheet of ice formed in between Sai and Suigetsu, and a rather pretty girl stepped out, with a legendary blade strapped to her back.

"Kiba, What are you doing?"she asked addressing the wild boy.

"Attempting to stop these two, their teammate seems to have wandered off."

"Hey babe, what are you doing with Zabuza-sama's blade? How 'bout I take it off yah in exchange for some Suigetsu time?"

"Suigetsu, you do know that he's a boy right?"Isaribi said, reappearing with several bags of cloths.

"What? Really? Then we do this the fun way,"Suigetsu said before binging his zanbatou to bare, "Hand over the Kubikiribocho, and you won't die!"

As he swung, Haku brought the legendary sword up and the two locked blades, both trying to over power the other as an ANBU with the kanji for ROOT dropped out of the trees.

"All of you are to come with me for disturbing the peace."

XxXxXxXx

"I, Orochimaru the Snake Sannin, state that I will take responsibility for the Genin of my squad outside of the Chuunin exams"

XxXxXxXx

At the Same Time

XxXxXxXx

"Ah fuck, this breeze feels good, eh Naruto?"a red haired girl said from her perch. The boy in question nodded in agreement, looking out over the Akagahara training grounds. Below their perch on the rock in the center of the training grounds, lay a large patch of crimson clovers. Naruto remembered the legend of these training grounds, but didn't feel motivated enough to see if they were true.

"Does anyone else hear that?"Juugo asked, as the sounds of explosions and children screaming came from the edge of the field.

"Sounds like home. Besides, who cares? They probably deserved it, the little brats."

"Tayuya, listen it's getting closer."

Sure enough, not five minutes later, a little girl came running out of the tree line, screaming for her life. Not ten seconds later, another kid came flying out of the tree line thrown by a mine going off behind him. The boy slammed face first into the Jizo statue in the center of the clover patch, scarf burning slightly. They were then treated to the hysterical sight of the boy trying to put it out before Naruto felt sorry for him and used a low rank suiton jutsu to put it out.

"Hey brats, don't you know that this training ground is forbidden for kids?"Tayuya asked after she had leapt down, "Nice scream there Creampuff."

"I'm a Hyuuga, we don't scream. It was monkey boy over there."

"Sure, and I'm the actress Koyuki. Now what are you two doing here?""We came to find the Crimson Four Leaf clover!"

"Correction, he came to find the clover, I came to watch him and laugh when he got his ass killed."

"Didn't work out like that, now did it?"

The girl turned in a huff and began to pout, while the boy was on his hands and knees looking for the clover, "Hinabi help me!"

Before anyone could say anything, they heard a dull thud, "Is this what you were looking for?"

Konohamaru stared at the large boy who held the clover out to him. Feeling over joyed, he shouted out. Suddenly several shapes emerged out of the clover field, humanoid by appearance.

"Marionettes,"Naruto said, slipping back into his 'Nanashi' persona, cool and calculating.

"Well shithead, you going to do your thing or are the two of use going to have to do the work?"

"There is no need for me to tip my hand this early in the game. Have fun."Grabbing the two Academy Students and the Clover, he leapt towards the entrance of the training grounds. Hearing his teammates cussing and crazed yells, he thought it best to do double time. As he hit the fence line, a squad of ROOT operatives dashed into the training grounds while the commander spoke.

"Once the two in the training grounds are brought here, you will all accompany me to explain this incident to Lord Hokage."

Nanashi chuckled as Tayuya shot out of the woods, arms out stretched, grasping for his throat, while making strangling motions.

XxXxXxXx

"Please explain what happened one more time, and this time, _only_ one person at a time."Orochimaru said, as he shook his head at the mess they had got into only _seconds_ before he and Danzou had finalized the ceasefire, "Preferably starting with Nanashi since his team is the only one _not_ under arrest."

Most of the other Genin shifted uneasily under the combined looks of their sensei's while any involved Konoha shinobi did the same under Danzou's watchful eye.

"Yes sensei. We had traveled to the most out of the way training grounds in an effort to keep Juugo calm until he acclimated to the city, we these two academy students began to set off the traps and mines, barely surviving. They had come to look for the local legend of the Four Leaf Crimson Clover, which the boy is holding. When Juugo pushed the Jizo statue on it's side to retrieve the clover for them, another trap activated, animating several marionettes. I left with the children with Tayuya close behind, while Juugo… released some frustration."

Danzou looked down at the two children in front of the group, "And why did two Academy students enter a training ground forbidden to the general public, besides chasing a ledgend?"

"It's because Kaede-chan is moving!"Konohamaru yelled, "That mission you gave her dad makes it so she can't stay at the Academy with us, and with the clover…. With the clover she could get her wish to stay!"

Before Danzou could speak, Nanashi made a motion to show he wished to speak once again.

"Let them go see their friend before you punish them. It's not like they're going to flee the village."

Danzou sighed, sometimes children were so stupid. Motioning for the two to leave, he turned back to Orochimaru, "At least your students were there, those to are the heir of the Sarutobi clan and the Secondary heiress of the Hyuuga clan. I will have to think upon their punishment, but for now, lets hear the rest of these stories."

Tobio looked up and said in a very plain voice, "they were following us, and I tried to scare them off."

"You tried to kill us! Your Bingo Book entry says allot about you and the girl especially…"

"Now miss, all of my nin are under strict orders not to kill anyone outside of actual combat while we are within this village, but they will be punished with confinement to their quarters until the start of the exams,"Orochimaru looked at the other two teams as well, "that means everyone who participated in their individual incidents."

"But Orochimaru-sama…AHHH!"once again, Zaku posed himself against the wall outlined in senbon.

"Don't talk back to the village leader, idiot."Kin said, before turning to Tobio, "And you quit wasting senbon on his sorry ass."

Tobio looked at her, reminding many of the Konoha Shinobi of an Aburame, "My launchers seem to be malfunctioning again, I should get them looked at."

Before another bout of 'Pin-Zaku-To-The-Wall-For-His-Stupidity' could begin, Ami stepped forward, "I just wanted to have a sparing match with Panda-chan, to see if she had improved at all."

"YOSH! It was truly a wonderful thing for young Ami-chan to do, after being away for many years, and even convinced her teammates to join in. don't worry I had it all under control."Gai said, stepping in. This was his way of telling his team that there was a lesson hidden within what had happened, but they had to find it first.

Danzou glared at the Jonin, who returned the look with a glaringly bright smile in his ridiculous 'Nice Guy' pose.

"Apparently not well enough for nearby citizens to think that your team was being mauled. I will overlook this incident this one time."

Ami smirked at Zaku, smug about apparently getting off the hook, when Orochimaru spoke up, "You three are also confined to your quarters for the next three days."

Ami pouted, taking a swing at Zaku when he began gloating. The punched knocked him back into Juugo, who glared down at him. Zaku squeaked as Juugo clamped his hand on the smaller boys shoulder, holding him in place.

"What about you three?"

"I had no part in their squabble, Orochimaru-sama, as they are impossible stop once they start."

"Very well Isaribi, you may explore with Nanashi's team when ever they go out. And what do you two have to say?"

"The Hyouton bastard has Zabuza-sama's sword!"

"Of course… the sword…. Suigetsu as punishment you are confined to your quarters as well, Sai?"

Sai wasn't listening, as he had been studying Danzou, the man who had stunted him emotionally and socially before sending him on what was to be a suicide mission. Plastering a fake smile on his face, Sai answered, "Suigetsu attacked me, I defended myself. When Kiba-san tried to push us apart, Suigetsu implicated him as well, and the fight would of continued if it wasn't for Haku-san."

Orochimaru sighed, Sai's hatred for Danzou was clear to him.

"You are on confinement as well, as you most likely started the fight like every other one."

These next three days were going to be long and nerve-grating.

XxXxXxXx

The Day of the Chuunin Exams

XxXxXxXx

Kankuro sighed as he fiddled with his Battle Puppet, making sure that he had correctly refilled all of the hidden weapon chambers for the Exams. Why his psychotic younger brother had to be the first one in the exam hall didn't concern him. Keeping himself and his elder sister alive did. So he sat in the exam hall with his two siblings waiting for the rest of the Chuunin-hopefuls to show up.

Soon a large group of Oto Genin came through the doors as he finished rewrapping his puppet into it's cocoon, causing Temari to gasp and Gaara to release a wave of Killing Intent.

"Kankuro, he's here!"

"Who's here?"

"The guy who escaped from Gaara!"

"Really? Which one?"

"The one with the guitar."

"You sure? I don't recognize him."

Temari sighed before whispering furiously into her younger brother's ear, "His teammate was the redhead girl with the foul mouth."

"Oh! It's him!"Kankuro realized before thinking aloud, "I wonder what other things she can do with her mouth."

Temari swung her battle fan with all her might, cracking the puppeteer over the head, causing the other Genin to look over. The masked boy that had escaped Gaara's wrath unscathed seemed to grin at her as she continued to beat on her brother, before he started to tune his instrument.

As the other Genin began to file into the room, separating Gaara from the masked boy, Kankuro let out a sigh of relief. At least Gaara wouldn't try to murder the boy with a couple hundred others in the way, would he?

A loud argument drew his attention to the entrance, as two Konoha teams entered, before they where joined by another two squads. Two of the girls began screeching over the Uchiha boy, identified by the clan marking on the back of his shirt. Several of the boys stood together, quietly discussing something as two of the boys and a girl stood apart from them, but near their teams in case something happened, and a girl with her hair in buns was attempting to quiet her teammate who was challenging the Uchiha to a match, though the boy was ignored.

"I will not waste my time on some loser that cannot even use ninjutsu"

"Yosh! But I will have a match with you, and when I do, I will prove that hard work can overcome even a natural born genius such as your self!"

XxXxXxXx

"Nanashi-kun, these people act differently than those in the village, why is that?"Sai asked, watching the Clan heirs of Konoha bicker and squabble. Even when He and Suigetsu got into their fights, there was a sense of camaraderie in their actions, in a weird, twisted kind of way. These Konoha shinobi didn't exhibit any of that.

"I don't know Sai, maybe it's something in the water, "Nanashi said as he began to strum, "Or maybe, it's because people are strange when you're the stranger."

The chords and beats of the Oto-nin's instruments began to drift over the crowd as each of the teams began to eye each other, uneasy that enemies of their respective villages where in the same room.

_People are strange when you're a stranger _

_Faces look ugly when you're alone _

_Women seem wicked when you're unwanted _

_Streets are uneven when you're down _

The Konoha teams looked over at the corner the Oto Genin where sitting in, various reactions showing on their faces. Ino was terrified of the Genin while her teammates glared openly at Tobio and his team, and Kiba had began to tap his foot to the beat. Team Gai looked annoyed at the girl that had interrupted their training three days ago, and Haku and Sasuke glared at Suigetsu and Nanashi respectively, the Uchiha remembering when the masked boy's team had interfered with one of his training sessions over the week, when the tall orange haired boy had seemingly gone berserk, showcasing a strength far exceeding his own.

_When you're strange _

_Faces come out of the rain _

_When you're strange _

_No one remembers your name _

_When you're strange _

_When you're strange _

_When you're strange _

A team from Rain began to fiddle with the resperators, while their fellow genin, a blue haired girl and a red haired boy tried to keep their teammate from bursting out of his seat.

"But Tobi is a good boy!"The boy whined, straightening his mask.

"Leader told us to keep you under control."the red haired boy replied

Tobi turned and huffed, before an evil gleam appeared in his one visible eye.

_People are strange when you're a stranger _

_Faces look ugly when you're alone _

_Women seem wicked when you're unwanted _

_Streets are uneven when you're down _

The Kumo teams nervously backed away from one of their members as the girl's grin widened, and she turned her eyes to Nanashi.

'**Soon kitten, he'll be all ours'**

'Ours'? He's mine!'

The Kumo Genin backed off even more when she purred, though this did nothing to the younger boy that she was staring at.

_When you're strange _

_Faces come out of the rain _

_When you're strange _

_No one remembers your name _

_When you're strange _

_When you're strange _

_When you're strange _

Gaara began to shake, his anger apparent as thin layers of sand began to swirl around him. Temari and Kankuro backed away, not wanting to anger their little brother even more.

'One of these days, I'll show you that you should listen to your older brother. Gaara, I'll show you what true strength is!'

'Gaara…'

_When you're strange _

_Faces come out of the rain _

_When you're strange _

_No one remembers your name _

_When you're strange _

_When you're strange _

_When you're strange_

"Cut that shit out before I break that banjo over your head."

XxXxXxXx

The entire room fell silent and there was a harsh screech as a string was struck just the wrong way.

Nanashi just glanced over at Sasuke with an eyebrow cocked.

"Run that past me again. _What_ did you say?"

The Uchiha smirked, satisfied in the knowledge that he had struck a nerve.

"I said cut that shit out, before I break that banjo over your head."

The mountain of a kid, Juugo, stood with a growl and a ripple passed over his body. The effect was similar to that of a fish's scales seen from above the water. The crowd watched with unease, but the blond put his hand on his companion. Juugo noticeably relaxed, and with a forced deep inhalation, he calmed and sat back down. The redhead in the beanie looked disappointed, but the rest of the Sound Genin looked relieved.

"What? Can't even fight your own battles?"

This time Naruto bristled and made to stand up, but was interrupted. The inevitable fight was halted prematurely by the timely arrival of Anko Mitarashi, Jonin of Konohagakure. Behind her trailed Iruka, a somewhat less vocal, but just as dangerous fellow Jonin.

"Alright maggots, shut up and listen! I'm Anko and this is Iruka. We're here to tell you everything you need to know about this year's second Chuunin exams. Rule number one! No fighting unless I tell you to."

A fair majority of the males were paying less attention to her speech, and more attention to her trench coat, which threatened to fall off every time she waved her arms. And she was waving her arms a lot. Iruka caught the way their eyes were wandering, and he walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and discreetly pulling her coat closed.

"Rule number two, not eyeballing by girl."Anko seemed flustered at the sudden and unexpected attention, but didn't complain and instead soldiered on.

"Rule number three, no one is going to be allowed to progress from this room unless they sign a waiver."Chouji seemed a little disturbed at that.

"A waiver? What waiver?"

Iruka handed a stack of papers to a Genin next to him, and the kid took three and passed the stack along.

"This is just to ensure that when one of you dies, Konoha isn't held responsible. Can't have war breaking out because one of you was caught off guard, after all."

The offhand and friendly way the man said it did nothing to put the group at ease, and in fact went so far as to make some of them even more uncomfortable. The duo waited until the papers were passed out, signed, and returned before continuing.

"Now, usually the first stage of Konoha exams involves a test to put you under pressure and see how you react, and this time will be no different. What has changed however, is how many of you will be actively participating."Anko picked up where he left off without missing a beat.

"There will be two sets of teams, and you will basically be playing a game of Ninja Keep-Away. While two of you on one set of teams will be free to proceed as normal, one person from each team will be chosen at random. This person will be given a strong tranquilizer and will be unable to participate. It will be the job of the other two teammates to ensure that an antidote is procured, and until then the incapacitated team member is kept safe."

The room echoed with shouts of outrage for a few moments before Iruka lost his patients.

"Shut the hell up, the lot of you!"

Using some kind of technique, the man's head grew to be twice its normal size, and increased the volume of his voice. When the room fell back into silence, he released it. Anko leaned over and whispered something into his ear, and Iruka immediately palmed his face. Off to the side, Dosu snorted in amusement. The others glanced at him, and he whispered under his breath.

"She asked if his head was the only thing he could use that technique on."

The rest of the Sound Twelve, minus Isaribi and Kin who just giggled softly, laughed aloud. The Genin around them looked at them in confusion, and Anko tossed them a surprised look.

"The other set of teams, meanwhile, will be holding an antidote. Now, there are many different types of tranquilizers that cause the same effects. Only one team will have the antidote your team needs in order to revive your downed comrade. That team will have the order to avoid you at all costs. In order to pass this test, they simply need to hang onto their antidote. The other half needs to keep their downed member safe, retrieve the antidote to revive them, and reach the safe zone all within a time limit."

A number of teams within the meeting room obviously had problems with that setup, and Sakura was the first to point it out.

"That hardly seems fair! One team barely has to do anything and they pass while the other is doing all of the work!"A number of people in the meeting room voiced their approval, but Iruka just gave a vicious grin.

"Tough. Life's not fair, so get over it. You're lucky we're only using a tranquilizer and not something really nasty. We've got toxins that will leave you screaming for hours without passing out."

Anko visibly twitched as he said that, though it was impossible to tell if she was actually getting off on it, or was just playing it up. Probably a combination of both.

"Oh, baby! I love it when you talk dirty."She rubbed herself against his side, and Iruka's eyes widened slightly.

"Alright you brats, let's get you all to the exam site and divided up into teams. We have... important... Jonin stuff to do!"

As the teams hurried to join back up and follow behind their examiners, Kiba pointed out an observation.

"Did it look like Iruka-Sensei was walking funny to you?"

XxXxXxXx

Songs:

People Are Strange- The Doors

XxXxXxXx

Update – Fixing the awkward areas and spelling mistakes

XxXxXxXx

AN:

Dingo T. Wilds-** Hey guys, this took way to long to get out, both myself and Nikolai were busy with work, school, and other fics, but it's finally done. Sorry that Nikolai won't be able to add his comments, but he is without a computer. Until next, Dingo T. Wilds, signing off**


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